11-year-old girl who married 41-year-old Malaysian sent back to Thailand

PHOTO: Internet

KUALA LUMPUR - The 11-year-old Thai girl who married a 41-year-old Malaysian man has been sent back to Thailand and she is now in Narathiwat, according to a Thai source.

The source, who is a social activist, said the Kelantan state government sent her back on Wednesday and the Thai authorities received her and she is now under the care of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.

"The ministry is supposed to protect the girl and rehabilitate her. It's right for the Thai government to take the girl back but they have to have a long-term plan. The girl's family is poor and no one would care for them," he said.

While the ministry would shelter her, he said that there was concern that religious bodies might threaten the ministry to let her remain with the man.

"Religious bodies in Thailand are influential and support child marriage," he said.